The former Wurtsmith Air Force base in Oscoda, Michigan is responsible for PFAS in groundwater in nearby communities. Great Lakes Now Photo

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Decommissioned but Not Decontaminated

SEGMENT 1 | Oscoda, MI

Oscoda is a small town on the shores of Lake Huron in northeast Michigan. It was home to  Wurtsmith Air Force Base until the base closed in 1993. On this base, like on more than 700 military bases around the country, training exercises included using firefighting foam, which then ran off the base and into the groundwater. 

In 2010, testing revealed chemicals known as PFAS in the ground water at and near the former Wurtsmith base. PFAS stands for “per and polyfluoroalkyl substances,” which are also known as the “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down easily. This group of potentially harmful chemicals was used in firefighting foam and a variety of consumer products. 

PFAS contamination has also been found in Van Etten Lake, which borders the former base.  White foam containing high levels of PFAS forms on the lake’s surface, and residents are concerned about health risks for those who swim in the lake. 

Testing also found PFAS contamination in Clark’s Marsh, a wetland adjacent to the base, where signs now warn people not to eat fish from the marsh, or waterfowl, or deer in the area.

The Department of Defense installed wells to extract and filter the groundwater, but many in the community worry that the wells only capture a fraction of the contamination. To date, the Air Force says it has spent almost $28 million dollars on the cleanup effort at Wurtsmith. 

Here is other Great Lakes Now work on PFAS:

• ‘The middle of a massive contamination’: Residents of Wisconsin region struggle with aftereffects of dangerous ‘forever chemicals’

• PFAS in the House: Are toxic “forever chemicals” a steady drip in this reporter’s home?

• Federal Agencies Plan to Investigate Links between PFAS Exposure and Viral Illness

• PFAS Around the Great Lakes Region: Actions taken in each state or province and standards set, if any

And check out our PFAS page here.

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Getting the Lead Out

SEGMENT 2 | Milwaukee, WI; Detroit, MI; Chicago, IL; Galesburg, IL; Toronto, Ontario; Halifax, Nova Scotia

Most of us drink water out of the tap without thinking much about it. But, ever since Flint, Michigan caught the world’s attention, communities around the Great Lakes region have been taking a closer look at their drinking water. 

What they have found is shocking, lead levels that are sometimes higher than Flint’s. The alarming numbers have prompted some cities to dig up old lead pipes and replace them. But the costs are enormous. 

The number of households with drinking water delivered through lead pipes is staggering: up to 10 million homes. Multiply that number by 3 to 5 people per household and the number of people potentially drinking lead tainted water is somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 million or more. 

The harmful effects of lead are well known. When consumed, it can damage childrens’ brains and nervous systems, stunt their growth and affect their ability to focus. Children with high levels of lead in their blood are more likely to drop out of school or have brushes with the law. 

The Federal EPA sets the allowable limit of lead at 15 parts per billion (ppb). In Flint, some water samples were above 100 ppb. Some cities around the Great Lakes have found readings far beyond the numbers in Flint. At a house near Rockford, Illinois, the level was 2,700 ppb, while another home in a suburb south of Chicago had a reading of 5,300 ppb

Under the 1991 Federal Lead and Copper rule, if lead concentrations exceed 15 ppb, then municipal water departments must take action. They have to inform the public about steps they should take to protect their health and may have to replace lead service lines. 

Water expert Seth Siegel who wrote the book “Troubled Water” says cities like Chicago can easily game the system. “The EPA allows cities of different sizes to test as infrequently as every three years for lead,” he says. 

According to Siegel, under the rule, cities are only required to test up to 50 homes. “It allows municipalities to pick households in areas where there are no lead service lines at all,” said Siegel. 

The only guaranteed solution is to remove the lead pipes, but costs are enormous. There could be help on the way soon for smaller communities that simply don’t have the resources or the money to get the job done. President Biden’s massive infrastructure bill calls for spending $45 billion to speed up the removal of lead service lines nationwide. Congress is scheduled to consider the bill in the weeks ahead. 

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Here is other Great Lakes Now work on lead pipes:

• The problem within: Biden targets lead pipes, pushes equity

• Regional Thoughts: Some reactions from various Great Lakes leaders on President Biden’s infrastructure plan

• H2Ohio: Agency directors focus on wetlands, farmer subsidies, replacing lead lines
• Q&A: How to protect against lead as Michigan waits for new water pipes

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When the Road to Tokyo is on the Water

SEGMENT 2 | Detroit, MI, Miami, FL

Individually, Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea had already won world championships and national titles before joining forces and earning the chance to represent the U.S. in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, but not long after they qualified, the pandemic hit, and the games were delayed for a year. Great Lakes Now host Ward Detwiler spoke with them as they prepared to go to the 2020 Olympics… in the summer of 2021. 

Half a dozen Canadian sailors from Lake Ontario — mostly Toronto and Kingston — will represent their country at the Games. 

Here is other Great Lakes Now work on outdoor recreation:

• Superior Crossing: Sailing across the biggest, deepest and coldest Great Lake

• • Great Lakes Learning: Take to the Lakes without a boat

• Great Lakes Moment: Walleye frenzy on the Detroit River

• Great Lakes Sanctuaries: Two more National Marine Sanctuaries in the region see the finish line

• How Microfishing Took the Angling World by (Very Small) Storm
• Duck Stamp: Little stamp has big impacts in the Great Lakes and nationwide